North Coast Current

CARLSBAD — The Chamber Music Players of the North Coast Symphony Orchestra present “Musical Mélange” at the Schulman Auditorium at the Carlsbad Dove Library on Jan. 22 at 2:30 p.m. The program will consist of the “Holberg Suite” by Grieg for strings, conducted by Daniel Swem, and the “Czech...

Mid-November last year, Del Mar and the music world at large suffered a great loss. Martin Grusin, best-known along the North Coast as the best vocal coach in the area, sang his last notes. His true legacy was felt in the support rallied by local musicians, his students and The Belly Up Tavern as they all came together in tribute in early February.

The grunge and metal scenes of the 1990s produced many bands that gained purchase in the pop charts in a way previously unseen in indie music. Many of these groups, such as Nirvana, Pearl Jam and The Red Hot Chili Peppers, stood the test of time and are still popular today. While shoegazer grunge band...

The 1990s indie/grunge band Helmet burst onto the scene in 1990 with a sound that was completely different from most of the alternative rock bands of the time. With fast, driving guitars and heavy, intense vocals and lyrics, Helmet’s style, though clearly ticking the alt rock box, sometimes seemed...

Even in the 1990s, a period in indie music when there weren’t a lot of limits, Juliana Hatfield checked too many boxes to adhere to just one alt rock genre. Then again, she seemed like the Groucho Marx type anyway — she would never belong to a club that would have her as a member. That didn’t stop...

The city of Carlsbad’s Cultural Arts Office has kicked off its four-part “This is Jazz” lecture and concert series with accompaniment from its new program partner, radio station KSDS Jazz 88.3 FM.
The longstanding program taking place at the Ruby G. Schulman Auditorium — located at the Carlsbad...

The Dead Kennedys are a punk band from the 1980s with near legendary status. From their iconic rune-inspired logo to the antics of frenetic frontman Jello Biafra, this loud, hardcore and marginally silly band represents the spirit of anarchy and rebellion that is endemic in the soul of every punk ro...

The Belly Up has done it again. You’d think this venue would be slowing down after having celebrated its 40th anniversary in 2014, but December saw another fabulous lineup of shows, parties and charity events. Each month, the venue has at least one if not many huge headliners, and the last month in 2014 ...

Many residents of San Diego County, and even perhaps North County folks, may be surprised by the number of album launch parties that take place in the region. In fact, musical artists both local and outside of San Diego County often choose the intimate and fun venues on the coast of North County for su...

If the Buzzcocks show at the Belly Up in Solana Beach on Sept. 19 is anything to go by, punk rock is most certainly not dead. There is also, often, a worry with older bands on reunion tours as to whether they can still perform, whether they still have “it.” No worries with the Buzzcocks, however, a...

Polyps on the vocal cords. These blistery soft growths are presumably undesired by someone who banks on her voice. But Solana Beach resident Tristan Prettyman sees her two little buggers, since removed, as a “crazy, magical blessing.”
“I basically was forcing myself to write and start playing music again, even though inside I was sup...

“I have to eat toast while I talk to you. I wake up nauseated in the morning. If I don’t eat toast right away, I throw up.”
Singer spewing during an interview? Yeah, probably not unprecedented. But Oceanside blues belter Candye Kane possessed a solid excuse for munching on heated bread during a Jan. 7 chat. In May, she underwent the second surgery related to her bout...